When it comes to local news, Americans have a positive view of its ability to keep them informed and serve as a watchdog. They also think that local journalism amplifies stories and events that directly affect their civic participation. The good news is that a range of initiatives is aimed at halting the precipitous decline in local journalism and reviving it in communities that have lost their newspapers. But reversing the decline will require many stakeholders pursuing complementary programs and objectives that target funding to communities and news outlets most at risk. This will include policymakers at state and federal levels, philanthropic organizations, business leaders and civic-minded individuals.
Filling the Local News Void
A growing number of entrepreneurs — including some journalists at television stations and founders of digital sites — are experimenting with new ways to bring local news to hundreds of communities that have lost their local newspaper. But most of these ventures are clustered around major metro areas, and a large share of their audiences is affluent, leaving poorer rural, suburban and urban communities underserved.
Meanwhile, the most promising business model for sustaining local journalism may be subscription and membership models that rely on audience support to help cover costs. But these models can still exclude residents of the poorest communities, who tend to be overlooked by entrepreneurs and philanthropic funders as they look for viable alternatives to traditional newspapers. In addition, the growth of these models is largely limited to communities with reliable broadband access.
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